The present invention relates to electronic remote control devices, such as may be used to control a television, video-cassette recorder or stereo component. In particular, this disclosure provides a voice-operated remote control that can be used for a wide variety of entertainment systems.
Many people today have televisions (TVs), videocassette recorders(VCRs), home theater systems, digital versatile disk (DVD) players, stereo components and other entertainment systems and, on an increasing basis, these devices are conveniently operated using remote controls (sometimes also called xe2x80x9cremotes,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cclickersxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9czappersxe2x80x9d). These xe2x80x9cremotesxe2x80x9d typically use infrared light and special device codes to transmit commands to particular entertainment systems. Each remote/device pair usually uses a different device code, which prevents signals from being crossed. xe2x80x9cUniversalxe2x80x9d remotes receive programming of multiple device codes and provide a user with many different control buttons, such that a single universal remote can often control several entertainment systems in a house or other environment, thereby replacing the need for at least some remotes.
While useful for their intended purpose, however, these modern remotes are not necessarily optimal. A remote may become lost or damaged through frequent handling, or may run out of battery power, which must be replenished from time-to-time. Typically also, a user must first locate and grasp a remote before it may be used and then aim it toward the particular entertainment system to be controlled. Modern entertainment systems also have complicated control menus, which can require special buttons not found on the universal remotes. Not infrequently, and despite availability of universal remotes, a person may need three or more remotes for complete control of multiple home entertainment systems, particularly where devices such as cable boxes, laser disk players, DVD players and home theater systems are also involved. Even a relatively simple action, such as changing the television station, may require a sequence of interactions.
Finally, it should also be considered that the presence of complicated menus and numerous remotes increases the possibility of error and confusion, which can lead to user dissatisfaction.
What is needed is a remote control that is easy to operate under all circumstances. Ideally, such a remote control should be user friendly, and xe2x80x9cuniversalxe2x80x9d to many different systems, notwithstanding the presence of complicated control menues. Also, such a remote control should withstand frequent use, being relatively insensitive to the wear from frequent handling that often affects handled remotes. The present invention solves these needs and provides further, related advantages.
The present invention provides a voice-operated remote control. By permitting a system to understand a user""s spoken commands and reducing the requirement to frequently handle a remote, the present invention provides a remote control that is easy to use and should have significantly longer life than conventional handheld remotes. At the same time, by using spoken commands in place of buttons, the present invention potentially reduces user confusion and frustration that might result from having to search for the proper remote, or navigate a menu in a darkened entertainment room; a user xe2x80x9cspeaks,xe2x80x9d and a recognized command results in the proper electronic command being automatically effected. As can be seen, therefore, the present invention provides still additional convenience in using entertainment systems.
One form of the present invention provides a voice-operated remote control having a sound detector (such as a microphone) that detects sound. The remote also includes a memory that stores commands to be transmitted to one or more entertainments systems, a filtration module, a recognition module, and a wireless transmitter. The microphone""s output is passed to the filtration module, which filters background sound such as music to more clearly detect the user""s voice. The recognition module compares the user""s voice with spoken command data, which can also be stored in the memory. If the spoken command is recognized, the commands are retrieved from memory and transmitted to an entertainment system.
In more particular features of the invention, the commands can be transmitted to the entertainment system through a transmitter, such as an infrared transmitter just as present-day remotes or xe2x80x9czappers,xe2x80x9d which also transmit in infrared. In this manner, a voice-operated remote control can be used to replace remotes that come with televisions (TVs) and other entertainment systems, e.g., the voice-operated remote control is used instead of a remote provided along with the TV or other entertainment system. The voice-operated remote can be made xe2x80x9cuniversalxe2x80x9d such that a user can program the voice-operated remote control with infrared commands and device codes for video tape recorders, DVD players, TVs, stereo components, cable boxes, etc.
More particularly, the preferred voice-operated system is embodied as two units, including a base unit and a remote (or table-top) unit. The remote unit preferably uses little power, and relays a microphone signal to the base unit that represents user speech among other xe2x80x9cnoise.xe2x80x9d The base unit is either in-line with electronic speaker signals, or is connected to receive a copy of those signals (e.g., connected to a TV to receive its audio output), and these signals are used to generate an audio mimic signal (e.g., a music signal) which is subtracted from the microphone output. The base unit thereby produces a residual used to recognize the user""s spoken commands, notwithstanding the presence of a home theater system, sub-woofer, and other types of electronic speakers within a room. Upon detection of a spoken command, infrared commands can then be transmitted to the remote unit, which can have an infrared xe2x80x9crepeaterxe2x80x9d for relaying commands back to the appropriate entertainment system or systems.
The invention may be better understood by referring to the following detailed description, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description of a particular preferred embodiment, set out below to enable one to build and use one particular implementation of the invention, is not intended to limit the enumerated claims, but to serve as a particular example thereof.